Ex-Food World, Belle supermarkets change hands in settlement

Published: Tuesday, October 1, 2013 at 10:00 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, October 1, 2013 at 10:49 p.m.

A family-owned supermarket chain based in Mississippi has acquired the three one-time Food World stores in Tuscaloosa as part of the settlement of the Belle Foods bankruptcy case.

The new owner, listed in court documents as Triple V, owns supermarkets operating under the Vowell family’s name.

Meanwhile, the Belle Foods supermarket on McFarland Boulevard near University Mall is being acquired by a new company formed by the former owner of Belle Foods. That store originally was a Bruno’s Supermarket.

Belle Foods LLC was formed in late 2011 to acquire the Birmingham-based Bruno’s Inc. supermarket chain, which included the four stores in Tuscaloosa. Belle Foods LLC filed for bankruptcy reorganization in July of this year.

Under a plan approved by a bankruptcy court late last week, Associated Wholesale Grocers, a major distributor to grocery stores, and a group of buyers it assembled who were interested in buying some of the remaining 43 Belle Foods stores, paid $16.13 million plus a discounted price on the stores’ inventory to creditors in the bankruptcy case.

Associated Wholesale Grocers said it plans to liquidate and close the stores for which there are no buyers. No Belle Foods stores in West Alabama are in that category.

Among the stores’ buyers are Triple V and a new company listed as 4Wall LLC, which was formed by Bill White, the former owner of Belle Foods.

Triple V, which operates as Vowell’s Marketplace, is based in Louisville, Miss. It has 19 supermarkets — 14 in Mississippi and now five in Alabama, said Todd Vowell, the company’s president. The stores operate under the names Vowell’s Fresh Market and Cash Saver by Vowell’s and include a Vowell’s Fresh Market in Demopolis.

Vowell said the former Belle Foods stores at 641 Bear Creek Parkway and 4440 University Blvd. will be converted to Vowell’s Fresh Markets probably within the next four to six weeks and the store at McFarland and Skyland boulevards to a Cash Saver by Vowell’s.

The Cash Saver by Vowell’s will have a price on the shelf showing what the supermarket paid for an item. Upon checkout, 10 percent will be added to that price. For example, a can of beans that cost Vowell’s 50 cents will be sold for 55 cents.

Vowell said his company tried to buy the Tuscaloosa stores once before but was outbid. He said Tuscaloosa is in good proximity to its other markets and is a demographically attractive market. He said he has asked the managers at the three stores to stay on and told them staffing decisions will be made by them.

“We told them we know you have been through a lot during the last few months, and we want you to be part of our family,” he said. “We want to earn the trust of our employees and the trust of our customers.”

Vowell’s grandfather, E.L. Vowell Sr., started the company when he opened his first grocery store in 1945 in Noxapater, Miss., a tiny town about 35 miles southwest of Starkville, Miss. Over the years, the company expanded but maintains its philosophy of being a family-run business, Todd Vowell said.

White said he plans to finish his acquisition of the Belle Foods near University Mall next week. He said the store will close at 3 p.m. Monday for an inventory and will reopen the following Thursday.

“We will be interviewing all the employees and will hire a good number,” he said.

The bankruptcy records indicated 4Wall also was interested in acquiring the Belle Foods store in Hoover, but White said the landlord did not want to renew the lease.

He said he hoped to possibly acquire two or three more stores but said they too would be run as a family operation.

<p>A family-owned supermarket chain based in Mississippi has acquired the three one-time Food World stores in Tuscaloosa as part of the settlement of the Belle Foods bankruptcy case.</p><p>The new owner, listed in court documents as Triple V, owns supermarkets operating under the Vowell family's name.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Belle Foods supermarket on McFarland Boulevard near University Mall is being acquired by a new company formed by the former owner of Belle Foods. That store originally was a Bruno's Supermarket.</p><p>Belle Foods LLC was formed in late 2011 to acquire the Birmingham-based Bruno's Inc. supermarket chain, which included the four stores in Tuscaloosa. Belle Foods LLC filed for bankruptcy reorganization in July of this year.</p><p>Under a plan approved by a bankruptcy court late last week, Associated Wholesale Grocers, a major distributor to grocery stores, and a group of buyers it assembled who were interested in buying some of the remaining 43 Belle Foods stores, paid $16.13 million plus a discounted price on the stores' inventory to creditors in the bankruptcy case.</p><p>Associated Wholesale Grocers said it plans to liquidate and close the stores for which there are no buyers. No Belle Foods stores in West Alabama are in that category.</p><p>Among the stores' buyers are Triple V and a new company listed as 4Wall LLC, which was formed by Bill White, the former owner of Belle Foods.</p><p>Triple V, which operates as Vowell's Marketplace, is based in Louisville, Miss. It has 19 supermarkets — 14 in Mississippi and now five in Alabama, said Todd Vowell, the company's president. The stores operate under the names Vowell's Fresh Market and Cash Saver by Vowell's and include a Vowell's Fresh Market in Demopolis.</p><p>Vowell said the former Belle Foods stores at 641 Bear Creek Parkway and 4440 University Blvd. will be converted to Vowell's Fresh Markets probably within the next four to six weeks and the store at McFarland and Skyland boulevards to a Cash Saver by Vowell's.</p><p>The Cash Saver by Vowell's will have a price on the shelf showing what the supermarket paid for an item. Upon checkout, 10 percent will be added to that price. For example, a can of beans that cost Vowell's 50 cents will be sold for 55 cents. </p><p>Vowell said his company tried to buy the Tuscaloosa stores once before but was outbid. He said Tuscaloosa is in good proximity to its other markets and is a demographically attractive market. He said he has asked the managers at the three stores to stay on and told them staffing decisions will be made by them.</p><p>“We told them we know you have been through a lot during the last few months, and we want you to be part of our family,” he said. “We want to earn the trust of our employees and the trust of our customers.”</p><p>Vowell's grandfather, E.L. Vowell Sr., started the company when he opened his first grocery store in 1945 in Noxapater, Miss., a tiny town about 35 miles southwest of Starkville, Miss. Over the years, the company expanded but maintains its philosophy of being a family-run business, Todd Vowell said.</p><p>White said he plans to finish his acquisition of the Belle Foods near University Mall next week. He said the store will close at 3 p.m. Monday for an inventory and will reopen the following Thursday.</p><p>“We will be interviewing all the employees and will hire a good number,” he said.</p><p>The bankruptcy records indicated 4Wall also was interested in acquiring the Belle Foods store in Hoover, but White said the landlord did not want to renew the lease.</p><p>He said he hoped to possibly acquire two or three more stores but said they too would be run as a family operation.</p><p>Reach Patrick Rupinski at patrick.rupinski@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0213.</p>